Season 2

Watch the founders grow

SheStarts 2 Documentary Trailer

What does it take to turn a big idea into a global tech company? What sacrifices do you have to make, what challenges do you have to overcome? Get ready to watch this powerful inspiring series, following the journeys of ambitious female founders launching tech startups with the award-winning SheStarts accelerator, powered by BlueChilli.

Season 2 Episodes

1st December, 2018 - Episode 1
The Showcase
Meet Andrèz Coco, Dr Annie McAuley and Danielle Owen Whitford - three passionate women who come from different walks of life, but have each made the decision to step out of their comfort zone and into the world of startups... with big ideas that could change the world. With women under-represented in tech, the founders know the odds are against them. So they are laying it all on the line and pitching for an opportunity to join the award-winning SheStarts accelerator program... to make their ideas a reality! Do they have what it takes to get selected for the program?
1st December, 2018 - Episode 2
Startup Bootcamp
The 2018 SheStarts cohort has now been selected! As day one of the accelerator approaches, reality is setting in. Danielle Owen Whitford knows what it’s like to be overworked and withdrawn from her children and she’s determined not to let that happen again. Families sacrifice a lot when parents pursue big dreams, and Danielle wants to be part of the solution, not the problem. There’s also a twist, with a new founder joining the cohort. Zoë Condliffe has been headhunted as a late entry for the program. She’s in it to make the world safer for women... but how will she figure out the tech required to bring her big-data vision to life? As the program kicks off, Zoe and the other women meet the BlueChilli product team to interrogate their riskiest assumptions as they leap into the unknown.
1st December, 2018 - Episode 3
Sharing your founder story
Dr Annie McAuley is a mother who wants the best for her children. When she realised her daughter Grace was struggling with language delay she did everything she could to help her. After exhausting traditional forms of therapy Annie took matters into her own hands and developed technology that empowered her daughter to learn to speak at home. Now she wants to create a company to help children around the world, just like Grace. Annie’s motivation runs especially deep. She knows what it means not to have a voice, having experienced a traumatic brain injury that left her unable to speak for years. As she prepares for pitch practice at a SheStarts immersion day at MYOB, Annie faces her fears and shares her full story for the first time.
1st December, 2018 - Episode 4
Importance of Partnerships & Community
Zoë Condliffe is driving to Sydney for a big week at the Sales & Partnerships immersion at LinkedIn. She’s made the decision to quit her full time job to focus on her startup, and is now living in her van to give She’s A Crowd the best chance at success. As she stops to camp overnight in the Australian countryside, she reflects on the life experiences that brought her to this point. She’s a Crowd is deeply personal to Zoe. Her experience of living in an abusive relationship drives her to make sure women’s stories are heard and further to that, changes are made to make the world safer and fairer. She’s decided to set her focus on universities as an environment to pilot her product and while in Sydney meets with advisors, academics and students to test her ideas and develop her business model.
1st December, 2018 - Episode 5
Creating your first product
As the founders reach the halfway point in the accelerator, the rubber is hitting the road. Andrèz Coco has launched her first prototype and after a difficult pitch session she is left questioning the direction she has taken. It’s time to get back to the customer and re-centre... so Andrez (and Dr Annie McAuley and Danielle Owen Whitford) engage in user testing ahead of demo day to make sure their MVPs are in the best place possible. Danielle is now running a pilot with one of Australia’s biggest banks at ANZ - a big step for her business. She meets with ANZ to show them how the key product is evolving - a big moment in her startup journey. Meanwhile, Annie is getting her tech in the hands of children at her pilot childcare centre, where her daughter Grace is customer #1. A deeply personal reminder of why she is building her company and the impact it can have.
9th December, 2018 - Episode 6
Demo Day
Ready or not, Demo Day has arrived! The female founder’s nerves start to peak as they deal with last minute technical issues just hours out from the guests arriving. It’s a flurry of panic mixed with excitement, but once demo day kicks off the founders impress the room, make great connections and Zoe Condliffe potentially lands her first big university customer. Yet even as the founders celebrate the accomplishments of Demo Day, the trip to San Francisco looms large. It’ll be an incredible opportunity for the founders but Dr Annie McAuley can’t help feeling the guilt of a broken promise to her children.
1st December, 2018 - Episode 7
Going global in San Francisco
The SheStarts female founders hit the pavement in San Francisco! Over the course of a week, they visit tech giants like LinkedIn, Google and CISCO Meraki, as well as emerging tech companies like Juvo, and they meet with investors to get feedback on their pitches. It’s an eye opening opportunity to go inside the global heart of tech and hear from some of the world’s most influential companies. This is the founder's opportunity to see what scale looks like and get vital feedback on their businesses from the influencers of Silicon Valley. The trip has a transformative effect on each of the founders but particularly on Zoë Condliffe, founder of She's A Crowd, who is confronted with being asked if she has what it takes to run a big data company.
1st December, 2018 - Episode 8
What’s next for the female founders?
The SheStarts founder’s are now at the end of their six month accelerator journey. After an intense and mind blowing experience in the US, they have come home and are ready to move forward to create the change they want to see in the world. Zoë Condliffe has been wrestling with the soul of her business. She’s not in it just to make millions, but she understands that her business needs to be financially viable so that she can create real and lasting change. Danielle Owen Whitford finds solace knowing she is building a company and a future where her family can thrive. Andrèz Coco has embraced her new identity as an entrepreneur, seeing the value of her ideas playing out in the hands of her customers. And for Dr Annie McAuley, she finally feels the power of sharing her story. She has found her voice - just like her daughter - and is proud to be seen as a tech entrepreneur, recognised by one of the biggest tech companies in the world. The women of SheStarts are paving the way for the next generation of female leaders... and they’re truly in it together.